Relay system



A ril 18, 1933. R.-G. RICHARDSON RELAY SYSTEM Filed Sept. 5, 1931 IfEU'IHTBF- I Emir 1:5 G. Richlrcliun Maw arr-

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v RODNEY G. RICHARDSON, OI CHICAGO," ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO ASSOCIATED "ELECTRIC LABORATORIES, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPO- BATION OF DELAWARE RELAY SYSTEM Application filed September 8, 1981. Serial No. 561,013.

The present invention relates in general to relay systems and the main object of the invention is the provision of a new and imsame may be had by a perusa of the following specification :when read in connection with the accompanying drawing comprising Figs. 1 and 2, which show by means of the usual schematic diagram two embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 1 of the drawing discloses a counting relay arrangement in which the counting relays are operated by the discharge current of a condenser. This system may be employed in connection with a telephone sys- .tem, conductors 1 and 2 being an incoming line terminating in an impulse relay 3, whereas 8 is the usual slow-to-release holding relay.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the invention in which only single-wound counting relays are used and in which impulses are re- I ceived over an impulse conductor 51 and in which 50 is the hold conductor over which the release of the counting relays is controlled.

The .detailed operation of the modifications shown in the drawing will now be explained. Only the operating and control cirs cuits of the counting relays have been shown, but it is to be understood that these relays also have other contacts which are used to complete the desired circuits dependent upon the number of impulses received.

When the equipment shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing is seized over the incoming line comprising conductors 1 and 2, the impulse receiving relay 3 operates over the loop circuit and at armature 4 and its working contact completes an obvious circuit for the slow-to-release relay 8. At armature 5 and its working contact it completes a charging circuit for condenser 7 including the resistance 6 which is provided to limit the charging current of the condenser to a value which will not be detrimental to the spring contacts. Rela 8 operates and at armature 9 and its war 'ng contact connects ground to the hold conductor 10, thereby preparing the locking circuits of the counting relays. This ground is. also extended through armatures 23, 27, 17, and 14 and their respective resting contacts, winding of relay 11, to battery. Relay 11 operates and at armature 12 and its working contact prepares the operating circuit for the first counting relay 13.

When the impulses are transmitted, the incoming loop circuit over conductors 1 and 2 is intermittently opened atthe impulse sender, thereby causing relay 3 to release a corresponding number of times. Atthe first release of relay 3 it opens the circuit of relay 8 at armature 4 and its working contact but relay 8 is made slow-to-release by a copper slug on the'heel end of its core and, therefore, remains operated throughout the impulse series. its working contact, relay 3 opens the charging circuit of condenser and at the resting contact of this armature it completes a discharging circuit for the condenser extending from battery, condenser 7, armature 5 and its resting contact, armature 12 and its working contact, lower winding of relay 13 to battery. The condenser 7 discharges 'over this circuit and the discharge current flowing through the lower winding of relay 13 operates this relay.

Relay 13 in operating, at armature 14 and its resting contact opens the circuit of relay hand at the working contact of this armature it completes the holding circuit from conductor 10 to the upper winding of relay 13. At armature-15 and its working contact it prepares the operating circuit for the succeeding counting relay 16.

At the end ofthe first interruption, relay 3 again operates and at armature 5 and its working contact again completes the charging circuit for condenser 7. At armature 4 At armature 5 and and its worln'ng contact it again completes the circuit for the slow-to-release relay 8 to maintain this relay operated. When relay 3 releases at the beginning of the succeeding interruption the discharging circuit for condenser 7 is completed through armature 15 and its working contact through the lower winding of the succeeding relay 16. Relay 16 operates and at armature 17 and its resting contact it opens the locking circuitof relay 13' and at the working contact of this armature it completes its own locking circuit from ground on the hold conductor 10. At armature 18 and its working contact it prepares the discharging circuit to the succeeding counting relay 19. At the end of the impulse, relay 3 again energizes and at armature 5 and its working contact again completes the charging circuit for condenser 7.

Relays 19 and 22 and the remaining counting relays, if more are required, are operated in the same manner responsive to successive deenergizations of impulsing relay 3. Each relay is energized over its lower winding by the discharge current from condenser 7 and locks itself energized to the hold conductor 10, at the same time opening the locking circuit of the preceding counting relay and allowing it to release. Each counting relay upon operating also prepares the operating circuit to the lower winding of the succeeding counting relay. Thus only one counting relay will remain energized at the end of the impulse series and this counting relay, through contacts not shown on the drawing, may complete the desired circuit depending upon the number of impulses in the impulse train.

The successful operation of the arrangement depends upon the fact that practically allof the condenser discharge current is required to operate the connected counting relay, so that little or no current will flow through the winding of the succeeding counting relay when the discharge circuit is extended to its winding. This result is obtained by selecting the proper size con denser with regard to the resistance of the windings of the counting relays. The lower armatures of the relays may be adjusted to operate last so that'the circuit.to the succeeding counting relay will not be closed until the connected counting relay has fully operated. g

The counting relays are restored by breaking the loop circuit over conductors 1 and 2, thereby causing relay 3 to release. At armature 4 and itsworking contact, relay 3 opens the circuit of slow-to-release relay 8 which releases after an interval and. at

, armature 9 and its working contact removes removed to release the counting relay chain.

In this modification, the condenser 52 is. normally fully charged over a circuit from battery, condenser 52,armature 55 and its resting contact, resistance 53 to ground.

Resistance 53 is provided to limit the charging current of the condenser to a value which will not be harmful to spring contacts. c

When the counting relay switch is seized for operation, ground is connected to hold conductor thereby bringing about the operation of relay 56. Relay 56 at armature 57 and its working contact connects ground to conductor 72, thereby preparing the locking circuits of the counting relays 58 to 70, inclusive. When impulses are received over conductor 51, relay 54 responds to eachground impulse, and when it energizes responsive to thefirst impulse it completes a discharging circuit for condenser 52 extending from battery, condenser 52, armature and itsworking contact, armatures 69, 66, 63, and and their respective resting contacts, winding of relay 58, to'battery. Condenser 52 discharges over this circuit and the discharge current throughthe winding of relay 58 operates this relay. In operating, relay 58, at armature 59 and its working contact, completes a locking circuit for itself extending from ground at armature 57 of relay 56,

conductor 72, armatures 71, 68, 65, and 62 and their respective resting contacts, armature 59 and its working contact, winding of relay 58 to battery. At armature 60 and its resting contact, relay 58 opens the discharging circuit for condenser 62 and at the working contact of this armature prepares a disthe relay charging circuit through the winding of relay 61. Armature 60 and the corresponding armatures of the other counting relays are adjusted to operate last so that the locking contacts of the relays will be closed before the operating circuits are opened. At the end of the impulse, relay 54 releases and at armature 55 and its resting contact again .completes the charging circuit for condenser 52 over resistance 53.

At the beginning of the succeeding impulse, relay 54 again operates and at armature 55 and its working contact completes .the discharging circuit. for condenser 52 extending from battery, condenser 52, armature 55 and its working contact, armatures 69, 66, and 63 and their respective resting contacts, armature 60 and its working contact, winding of relay 61 to battery. The

condenser 52 discharges over this circuit and the discharge current through the winding of relay 61 operates this relay. At armature 62and its resting contact, relay 61 opens the locking circuit of the first counting relay 58 and at the working contact of this armature completes its own locking circuit from ground on conductor 72.. At armature 63 and its resting contact it opens thedischarge circuit through the winding of relay 61 and at the working contact of this armature it prepares a discharge circuit for the condenser through the winding of the succeeding counting relay 64;. At the end of the second impulse, relay 54 again releases and at armature 55 and its resting contact again completes the vcharging circuit for condenser The succeeding relays 64, 67, 70, and the remaining relays in the *chain, if more are provided, are operated in the same manner as pointed out above for relays 58 and 61. Each relay upon operating prepares the discharge circuit of condenser 52 through the winding of the succeeding relay and at its upper armature completes a locking circuit for itself, at the same time opening the looking circuit of the preceding counting relay. Thus at the end of the impulse train only the proper counting relay remains operated to efiect a closure of the desired circuit over contacts not shown on the drawing. When it is desired to open the completed circuit and to release the counting relay chain, ground is removed from the hold conductor 50, thereby bringing about the release of rela 56. Relay 56 at armature 57 and its worlZing contact disconnects the holding ground from conductor 72, thereby allowing the operated counting relay to restore to normal.

Although only two modifications of the invention have been disclosed in the drawing, it will be at once apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will also be at once apparent that the circuits may be so arranged that the counting relays are operated by the charging current ofthe condenser instead of the discharging current in which case the condenser will be discharged between impulses.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, a condenser, an impulse receiving relay, a charging circuit for said condenser including contacts on said impulse receiving relay, and a discharging circuit for said condenser controlled by said impulse receiving relay to successively operate said counting relays responsive to received impulses.

2. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, a condenser, a charging circuit for said condenser, a discharging circuit for said condenser over which said'counting relay, and an impulse receiving relay for alternately closing said charging and discharging circuits responsive to received impulses,

each discharge of said condenser operating one of said counting relays. 3. In combination, a pl-urality of counting relays, a condenser, means responsive to received impulses for charging and discharging said condenser, once for each impulse, an operating circuit for said counting relays over which the relays are operated one at a time responsive to the condenser discharge current, and means responsive to the operation of each relay for extending the operating circuit to the succeeding relay.

4. The combination with a plurality of counting relays of means including a condenser for operating said relays responsive to received impulses, and circuit connections between said condenser and said relays for causing said relays to be operated in turn, one for each impulse.

5. In combinatlon, a plurality of counting relays, an operating circuit for said relays, contacts on each relayfor extending said operating circuit to the succeeding relay, and a condenser in said circuit for causing the operation of each relay in turn respon- I sive to received impulses.

6. The combination with a series of counting relays of a condenser, means for alternately charging and discharging said condenser, and means for successively operating said counting relays by the condenser discharge currents.

7. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, a condenser, means for charging said condenser, an operating c1rcu1t extendmg to said relays, means responslve to recelved impulses for intermittently discharging said I condenser over said circuit to operate said relays, and means controlled by each relay for locking itself energized, for opening the locking circuit of the preceding relay, and for extending the operating circuit to' the succeeding relay.

8. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, an impulse receiving relay, a condenser, means responsive to the operation of said impulse receiving relay for completing a charging circuit for said condenser and for preparing a discharging circuit including the firgst of said counting relays, means responsive to the deenergization of said impulse receiving relay responsive to a received impulsev for completing said discharging circuit to operate said first counting relay, and means responsive to the operation of said first counting relay for locking itself energized, for opening said discharging circuit, andv for preparing a discharging circuit including the second of said counting relays.

9. A counting relay switch comprising a line relay, a\release relay, and a plurality of counting relays, an incommg loop circuit for to successively operate said counting relays,

. one for each recelved impulse.

10. In a counting relay switch, a line relay, a plurality of counting relays, means responsive to the operation of said line relay for preparing an operating circuit and a lockingcircuit for said counting relays, a condenser, a charging circuit forsaid condenser completed when said line relay is' operated, means for discharging said condenser over said operating circuit to successively operate said counting relays responsive to receive impulses, and contacts on each counting relay for locking itself energized to said locking circuit, for opening the locking circuit to the preceding counting relay, and for extending said operating circuit to the succeeding counting relay.

11. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, an impulse relay, a condenser, a normally closed charging circuit for said condenser, an operating circuit extending to said counting relays, means responsive to the intermittent operation of said impulse relay responsive to received impulses for discharging said condenser over said operating circuit to successively operate said counting relays, one for each impulse received, and

means controlledby each counting relay for releasing the preceding counting relay.

12. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, an impulse relay, a condenser,

' a normally closed charging circuit for said condenser, an operating circuit extending to said counting relays, means responsive to the intermittent operation of said impulse relay responsive to received impulses for discharging said condenser over said operating circuit to successively operate said counting relays, one for each impulse received, a locking circuit for said counting relays, and contacts on each counting relay for looking itself energized over said locking circuit, for opening the locking circuit to the preceding counting relay, for opening its own operating'circuit, and for extending the operating circuit to the succeeding counting relay.

13. In combination, a plurality of counting relays, an operating circuit for said reto the succeeding relay, an impulse storer g included in said circuit, means for storing energy in said storer each time an impulse is received, and means for utilizing the energy stored by eachimpulse for operating one of said relays over said circuit.

15. In combination, a counting system comprising a plurality of counters and an energy storin device, means responsive to received impn ses for storing corresponding impulses in said storing device, and means for utilizing the stored impulses to operate said counters in turn, only one counter being operated for each stored impulse.

16. In a system for counting received impulses, a plurality of counters, means for converting each received impulse into stored energy, means for utilizing the energy stored by each impulse to operate one of said counters, and means controlled by each counter for substituting the succeeding counter for itself so that the succeeding counter is operated by the energy stored by the succeeding impulse;

17. In combination, a line relay having an armature, a plurality of counting relays, a closed circuit for said line relay, an energy storing device, a circuit over which energy is stored in said device including a front contact of said armature, an operating circuit extending to said counting relays, a back contact for said armature for connecting said device to said operating circuit whereby the energy stored in said device is utilized to operate one of said counting relays each time said line relay releases responsive to an interruption of its circuit, and contacts on each counting relay for extending said operating circuit to the succeeding counting relay.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of August, A; D.

RODNEY G., RICHARDSON. 

